Flavors
Platforms are designed to bring safety and additional challenge to a NIB project, but many Platform NIBers choose to challenge themselves even further by requiring even more from their howrses. Some breed unicorns and require horns, some only keep offspring with certain coats and others have requirements on genetics beyond a certain gain in top stat and GP. NIBC would like to offer a way for Platform NIBers to implement these personal challenges more officially into their chosen Platform, through Flavors. What Are Flavors? Flavors are purely optional, additional criteria added to a Platform by the individual Platform NIBer. The Flavors system is a customization tool. For example, Platform NIBer Janet is breeding Shetland ponies using the SNIB Platform because she wants to keep her project safe. She wants more of a challenge, but none of the other Platforms really appeals to her. She decides to add a Color Flavor to her SNIB project, only allowing ponies with the Dun coat. Her project just got quite a lot more challenging. There is no limit to how many Flavors can be added to a project and because of the number of possible Flavor combinations, an unlimited variety of challenge can be provided. A List of Flavor Examples Unicorn Flavor The Unicorn Flavor is fairly self-explanatory. Any Unicorn NIB project can add the Unicorn Flavor to the chosen Platform. : Unicorn Added Criteria *Howrses in the project must be unicorns. Pegasus Flavor The Pegasus Flavor is also fairly self-explanatory. All howrses in the project must be given Medusa's Blood and be turned into Pegasi. The criteria is not challenging in the same as the Unicorn Flavor or a Genetics Flavor, but it will require you to gather or purchase BMIs. : Pegasus Added Criteria *Howrses in the project must have Medusa's Blood. Genetics Flavor Some of the Platforms already have a criteria that make genetic requirements, for example a minimum gain to GP or top stat. A Genetics Flavor would be any additional genetics criteria on foundations or offspring. One example is a NIBer who decides to require more than the Platform gain in GP and/or top stat. If the Platform gain requirement is 11.5 in GP and 3.5 in top stat, they could choose to add a Genetics Flavor requiring a gain of 12.5 in GP and/or 4.0 in top stat. Another example of a Genetics Flavor is when a NIBer decides to only have full-gained foundations (351.2 GP), foundations with a GP of 351+ or foundations with no gain at all (350.00 GP), in their project. One last example would be the gap that some Brumby NIBers strive for. To avoid that Stamina eventually replaces Gallop as the second top stat, they look for Gallop to be higher than Stamina in newborn foals. This would also qualify as a Genetics Flavor. NIBers are free to invent their own Genetics Flavor, but if you want to be sure that your personal Flavor is accepted, it's recommended that you consult a NIBC member in the forums or by PM before your project progresses too far. We look forward to seeing your ideas! : Genetics Added Criteria *Varies, but always involves the genetics of the howrses and offers additional challenge. Color Flavor If a NIBer decides to only keep howrses with a certain coat color in their project, for example Cremello, that would qualify as a Color Flavor. The breeder can also decide on a few allowed coat colors, like Cremello and Palomino. (suggested by Pinecrescent in the NIB Coalition Embassy forum) : Color Added Criteria *Howrses in the poject must have one or one of a few select coat colors. GA/SA Flavor A project where all howrses are outfitted with a Golden or Silver Apple coat, can keep the GA or SA Flavor. The criteria is not challenging in the same as the Unicorn Flavor or a Genetics Flavor, but it will require you to gather or purchase BMIs and some planning too, if you want to go for a pure SA Flavor. : GA/SA Added Criteria *Howrses in the poject must have a Golden Apple coat or a Silver Apple coat. Your Personal Flavor These are Flavors above are only examples. You are free to invent your own personal Flavor to use for your project. As with the personal Genetics Flavors, if you want to be sure that your personal Flavor is accepted, it's recommended that you consult a NIBC member in the forums or by PM before your project progresses too far. : Your Added Criteria *You decide! Only your imagination and need for challenge sets the limits here. How to Add a Flavor to Your Platform NIB Project : 1. You need to have a Platform chosen for your project. A Flavor can't stand on it's own. It needs to be added to an already existing Platform (SNIB, HNIB, GNIB and so on). : You also need to remember that the existing Platform criteria cannot be removed. The purpose of Flavors is additional challenge, not a different kind of challenge. You can't add a Genetics Flavor to your HNIB Platform project and remove the No external covers criteria, if you want to be listed as an HNIBer. : 2. Decide on what Flavor or Flavors you would like to add to the existing Platform. Would you like to use one of the example Flavors above or come up with your own? Maybe you already have additional criteria that you have been following with your project that you would like to make official? : 3. It might be a good idea to consult your fellow NIBers or a member of NIBC before your set your Flavor in stone. Is it a suitable challenge? A good level of difficulty? Talking about it could help you be sure about your decision and see potential issues that you haven't thought about. : 4. Announce your Flavor! Update your Platform listing post and add your Flavor/s to your affix so that everyone knows that you have chosen to customize your Platform NIB experience and challenge yourself further. : 5. Get to work breeding and have fun! What Do I Do If...? ...I need help to add Flavors to my project? :: The chat topic in the NIBC Embassy is always open for anyone who needs help understanding the Platforms and Flavors system. You can also PM a NIBC member. ...I change my mind about my chosen Flavors? :: You can always change your mind. Like Platforms, Flavors are entirely optional and for your own enjoyment. Flavors are also not needed to be listed in the Platforms listings. :: If you feel that you have made the wrong decision adding Flavors to your project, you can just remove them. Only be sure to update your Platform listing post and your affix with the change, so that there is no confusion. Credit Written in August 2012 by boywithhorse for the Non-Inbred Coalition. Flavor suggestions are credited in their respective categories.